I joined Experian in 1993. In more than three decades since, I’ve had a front-row seat to a remarkable evolution in how financial institutions use data and analytics to make decisions.
The technology has changed. The amount and types of data available have changed. And the speed and sophistication with which we can turn that data into insight would have been difficult to imagine when I started my career.
Through all that, one principle remains the same. Better data can lead to better decisions, and better decisions can create more opportunities for consumers and financial institutions.
That’s why today’s announcement at Experian Vision 2026 is particularly meaningful to me.
We announced Experian Cashflow Data Bureau Inc., an important new foundation for how we believe financial institutions will use data to make decisions and support consumers.
Building on the power of credit
Credit data has been foundational to the financial system, and it will continue to play that essential role. But today, we have an opportunity to see more.
For years, Experian has invested in expanded data because we believe responsibly using additional information can help lenders develop a more complete picture of a consumer and ultimately help expand fair access to credit.
That can be especially important when a traditional credit history doesn’t tell the whole story. From earning a steady income, paying bills consistently, maintaining sufficient balances and responsibly managing their day-to-day finances, a consumer may have a limited credit file but still have a rich financial life.
Consumer-permissioned cash flow information can help provide insight into those behaviors and give lenders another view into a consumer’s current financial health and capacity. This represents a very useful and meaningful signal.
This isn’t about replacing credit data. It’s about building on an incredibly powerful foundation with additional, current information that can help lenders better understand the consumers they serve.
From proving the value to putting it to work
We’ve been building toward this future for years.
Our experience with expanded data and open banking has helped us develop increasingly sophisticated ways to turn bank transaction and balance information into useful insights. We’ve introduced Cashflow Attributes and Cashflow Score for consumer and commercial lenders and, the Experian Credit + Cashflow Score, which brings consumer-permissioned cash flow insights together with Experian’s traditional credit, trended and alternative data in a single model.
Along the way, we’ve seen the conversation with our clients and partners evolve.
Increasingly, they aren’t asking us whether cash flow information can provide value. They’re asking us how to put it to work.
How do I access the information? How do I test it against my portfolio? How do I turn millions of transactions into useful insights? How do I incorporate those insights into my existing strategies? And how do I do all of that responsibly and at scale?
Those are important questions, because the next generation of lending requires more than access to another source of data.
It requires infrastructure and trust.
That’s what Experian Cashflow Data Bureau Inc. is designed to provide.
The new consumer reporting agency operates under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and serves as the enabling foundation for Experian’s broader cash flow ecosystem. It brings together capabilities spanning consumer consent and connectivity, standardized cash flow reporting, categorization, attributes and scoring, analytics and decisioning.
We’ve spent decades building the data, analytics, technology and consumer reporting expertise financial institutions depend on every day. Now, we’re applying that experience and discipline to cash flow.
The goal is to make the combined power of credit and cash flow easier to put to work, giving our clients a more complete view of consumers and the ability to turn those insights into better-informed decisions through a single, trusted provider.
This is another step toward a future where our clients can understand a more complete picture of a consumer’s financial life, make better-informed decisions and create more opportunities for people to access the financial products and services they need.
I’m excited about where we’re headed and proud that we’re continuing to build the data, technology and infrastructure to help move the industry forward.
To learn more about our cash flow capabilities and what we’re building, please visit https://www.experian.com/experian-cashflow-bureau.